"that journey wasn't fully completed until I wrote about taking it."; this is the truest of all writer's truths. It always applies.
I'm a little surprised, though - if you had to make a cartesian allusion to symmetry, that it wasn't in the form x^2-y^2=1. Or isn't hyperbole/a what you were going for?
Oh, it is only when you possess things of value that there can be fear of losing, no? Another of those truths, I suppose.

As I said in my last post, I'm really excited for all of the events on my schedule at the Phoenix Comicon this weekend, especially the TNG panel, because I get to share the stage with Jonathan and LeVar. Even though I talk to LeVar fairly often, we've never spoken together at a con. Though I've ...

We rehearsed some more this morning, and then did our run through for the producers and the network this afternoon. Before I share what little I can about the actual work, let's get the important stuff out of the way: I trained hard to improve my ping pong game with Nolan last night (Nolan play...

That's a great observation about tone, Jules. I'm actually asking a little different question - I'm talking about word selection, for example, being different now than it was then (bolder, more distinctive, less direct) and paragraph construction and the lengths of paragraphs.... Maybe it's an obscure question, but I'm interested in the relationship between confidence and voice (where voice is a specific quality of literary devices that makes everything a writer produces distinctive).
Dweeby aspiring writer question?

Today's on-set report actually begins with a moment from yesterday afternoon that was so unexpected, I'm still wrapping my head around it. I obviously can't go into any details about the plot or characters, so you'll just have to use your imagination to construct what the set looked like. I can ...

Just curious, Wil. Have you compared these writings, and/or others from your recent acting and reading appearances, those insincere ones from the bad audition experiences that you included in JaG? I think there's a great learning there - While it's true that you've matured as a writer overall, it's also true that there is an authenticity of style in the more recent postings that comes through clearly. I think it's discernable in sentence length and complexity, word choice, and in particular the natural dynamics (think of the musical definition) of the piece, and other ways, I'm sure.
Anyone else who's been around a while kinda see what I'm saying? Do you agree?

Today's on-set report actually begins with a moment from yesterday afternoon that was so unexpected, I'm still wrapping my head around it. I obviously can't go into any details about the plot or characters, so you'll just have to use your imagination to construct what the set looked like. I can ...

I have an insane amount of work to do before Sunday night, all of it requiring a great deal of creative output. I'm already so far behind on the deadlines, I think I'm going to be up until the sun has charred the other side of the world and come back to us so I can get it all done. I told Anne e...

It went something like this....
DM: As the door opens, you see...
Fighter 1 (interrupting): I draw my broadsword and charge into the...
Fighter 2 (interrupting): I'm right behind him with my +2 mace.
DM (after a few seconds): Okay. (To F1) You take (rolls 2d6) 7 points of damage as you crash your stupid hand on the low ceiling and stumble to the floor. And you (to F2), tripping over your fallen mate, drop your mace on him, causing (rolls) 4 points more damage. The room in front of you us empty, your friend is unconscious, and I'm going get some Ring Dings.

Inspired by my previous post and its related conversation in the geek group, my friend Andrew and I have been talking, as we so often do, about our RPG experiences. He said I could share this one: Our college group wasn't big on subtle roleplaying. The anecdote that best exemplifies our attitud...

It went something like this....
DM: As the door opens, you see...
Fighter 1 (interrupting): I draw my broadsword and charge into the...
Fighter 2 (interrupting): I'm right behind him with my +2 mace.
DM (after a few seconds): Okay. (To F1) You take (rolls 2d6) 7 points of damage as you crash your stupid hand on the low ceiling and stumble to the floor. And you (to F2), tripping over your fallen mate, drop your mace on him, causing (rolls) 4 points more damage. The room in front of you us empty, your friend is unconscious, and I'm going get some Ring Dings.

Inspired by my previous post and its related conversation in the geek group, my friend Andrew and I have been talking, as we so often do, about our RPG experiences. He said I could share this one: Our college group wasn't big on subtle roleplaying. The anecdote that best exemplifies our attitud...

For this week's Geek in Review, I played a whole lot of Guitar Hero III and Rock Band, so I could review and compare them both. For you, dear readers, I made this terrible sacrifice. Indeed, I did it for those about to rock: With the holidays fast approaching, the question facing wannabe rockers...

For this week's Geek in Review, I played a whole lot of Guitar Hero III and Rock Band, so I could review and compare them both. For you, dear readers, I made this terrible sacrifice. Indeed, I did it for those about to rock: With the holidays fast approaching, the question facing wannabe rockers...

Well, I'm glad to see someone above quoted Ted Hughes, because my thought on this matter is from the world of poetry.
Certainly, word count (and other metrics) are important for commercial publishers - which is why a lot of talented writers have published several books with smaller houses and then graduated to larger ones with (1) guaranteed audiences and (2) more flexibility as regards "the rules". If you're under contract and committed, this thought does not apply, but if your 35,000 word restriction is self-imposed as a way of positioning the final product for a better jump to a bigger house, I think you may be better off reversing your attitude: serve the material rather than trying to make it serve you.
Poets frequently describe themselves (OK, ourselves) as the vehicle through which the words flow. A lot of times that's pretentious crap, but it reminds us not to make the material something it's not. That never works.
Good luck.

I've been working on a new book for a few months now. It's a follow-up to Dancing Barefoot, which was a short collection of stories that I and readers of my blog enjoyed, rather than a follow-up to Just A Geek, which was a longer memoir. I thought this would be really easy, but it's actually bee...

Well, I'm glad to see someone above quoted Ted Hughes, because my thought on this matter is from the world of poetry.
Certainly, word count (and other metrics) are important for commercial publishers - which is why a lot of talented writers have published several books with smaller houses and then graduated to larger ones with (1) guaranteed audiences and (2) more flexibility as regards "the rules". If you're under contract and committed, this thought does not apply, but if your 35,000 word restriction is self-imposed as a way of positioning the final product for a better jump to a bigger house, I think you may be better off reversing your attitude: serve the material rather than trying to make it serve you.
Poets frequently describe themselves (OK, ourselves) as the vehicle through which the words flow. A lot of times that's pretentious crap, but it reminds us not to make the material something it's not. That never works.
Good luck.

I've been working on a new book for a few months now. It's a follow-up to Dancing Barefoot, which was a short collection of stories that I and readers of my blog enjoyed, rather than a follow-up to Just A Geek, which was a longer memoir. I thought this would be really easy, but it's actually bee...

Really a terrific point - the social aspect of gaming in any form is really only understood in by those who play. I wonder what Daniel Goleman (Social Intelligence) would have to say about this?
Interestingly, this calls attention to an essential role tabletop gaming can play in developing the social intelligence of your children. Even Disney Princess Spinning Wishes.

Sometimes when I'm working on a writing assignment, I get to a point with it where I have no idea if it's any good, if it makes any sense, and if the idea that I had when I sat down to write it has come across clearly. I've learned over the years that when I get too close to something and these ...

Really a terrific point - the social aspect of gaming in any form is really only understood in by those who play. I wonder what Daniel Goleman (Social Intelligence) would have to say about this?
Interestingly, this calls attention to an essential role tabletop gaming can play in developing the social intelligence of your children. Even Disney Princess Spinning Wishes.

Sometimes when I'm working on a writing assignment, I get to a point with it where I have no idea if it's any good, if it makes any sense, and if the idea that I had when I sat down to write it has come across clearly. I've learned over the years that when I get too close to something and these ...

2006 was a very good year. In fact, it was probably the best year I and my family have had since 2003. So, with less than 9 hours remaining, I thought I'd hop in the wayback machine and take a quick look at some of the highlights. Fire it up, Sherman! I traveled to Montreal, where I saw the beau...

2006 was a very good year. In fact, it was probably the best year I and my family have had since 2003. So, with less than 9 hours remaining, I thought I'd hop in the wayback machine and take a quick look at some of the highlights. Fire it up, Sherman! I traveled to Montreal, where I saw the beau...

I just read the following over at Iggy's: Somebody was once asked to define blogs. They refused and said: I don’t care. There is no need to define “blog.” I doubt there ever was such a call to define “newspaper” or “television” or “radio” or “book” — or, for that matter, “telephone” or “instant ...

I just read the following over at Iggy's: Somebody was once asked to define blogs. They refused and said: I don’t care. There is no need to define “blog.” I doubt there ever was such a call to define “newspaper” or “television” or “radio” or “book” — or, for that matter, “telephone” or “instant ...

Well, now, wait a minute. I'm with you and Iggy on the conversation and medium comments, but journalism?
To my understanding, journalism _does_ have some constraints that blogging does not. Journalism, even freed from traditionally imposed limitations of newsprint and 6:30PM timeslots is less immediate and emotional, less opinionated, more rigorously checked, etc. If blogging is conversation, journalism is a more formal response to one question at a time. I think the things that separate successful documentary films from unsuccessful ones are some of the same things that separate bad blogs from good, and good blogs from journalism.

I just read the following over at Iggy's: Somebody was once asked to define blogs. They refused and said: I don’t care. There is no need to define “blog.” I doubt there ever was such a call to define “newspaper” or “television” or “radio” or “book” — or, for that matter, “telephone” or “instant ...

Well, now, wait a minute. I'm with you and Iggy on the conversation and medium comments, but journalism?
To my understanding, journalism _does_ have some constraints that blogging does not. Journalism, even freed from traditionally imposed limitations of newsprint and 6:30PM timeslots is less immediate and emotional, less opinionated, more rigorously checked, etc. If blogging is conversation, journalism is a more formal response to one question at a time. I think the things that separate successful documentary films from unsuccessful ones are some of the same things that separate bad blogs from good, and good blogs from journalism.

I just read the following over at Iggy's: Somebody was once asked to define blogs. They refused and said: I don’t care. There is no need to define “blog.” I doubt there ever was such a call to define “newspaper” or “television” or “radio” or “book” — or, for that matter, “telephone” or “instant ...

Congratulations on your epiphany. Some guys never realize what you have realized, and many are uncomfortable once they do. If you want to reinforce your learning, there's a pretty neat book called Just Enough by Nash and Stevenson that helps people sort this all out.

Earlier this week, I wrote on CardSquad that other than my Tuesday and Thursday games at PokerStars, I'm taking a serious break from playing poker. I have been running so bad lately, and I've been so consistently unlucky, it's just not fun. So while I'll continue to write about it, and I'll cont...

Congratulations on your epiphany. Some guys never realize what you have realized, and many are uncomfortable once they do. If you want to reinforce your learning, there's a pretty neat book called Just Enough by Nash and Stevenson that helps people sort this all out.

Earlier this week, I wrote on CardSquad that other than my Tuesday and Thursday games at PokerStars, I'm taking a serious break from playing poker. I have been running so bad lately, and I've been so consistently unlucky, it's just not fun. So while I'll continue to write about it, and I'll cont...